India’s Socio-Economic Landscape
Post Independence changes in India
2023-09-22
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ayush.patel@gipe.ac.in
A liberal Constitution
India adopted liberal constitution that came into force on 26 January 1950.
- Universal Adult Franchise.
- Equality based on caste, creed and religion
- Freedom of speech and movement
- Directive Principles of State Policy
- Independent Judiciary
One could say a right recipe for a harmonious society and growth. We will discuss how Indians and Indian society have changed after independence.
How are we measuring change?
- Education and Health, of various groups, are two broad parameters that signal about a society’s wellbeing. Additionally, are also signals for a productive and value generating labour force.
- We will compare India, using various indicators1, with sub-continental neighbours.
- We will also investigate, by discussing two papers from Development Data Lab, if change has been true for various groups in India.
Where does India live?
“India lives in her villages” - M.K. Gandhi
- How much does this hold true today?
- Is Urbanization desirable?
- Has India Urbanized?
“What is the village but a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism…” - B.R.Ambedkar
Is India an agrarian economy?
- Yes, India was an agrarian economy. Agri,forestry and fishing(1960)-41.7%GDP, Manufacturing(1960)-15%GDP and, Services(1960) - 38.8%GDP.
- Is India an agrarian economy? Difficult to say. Things have changed(Agri,forestry and fishing(2022)-16.6%GDP, Manufacturing(2022)-13%GDP and, Services(2022) - 48.6%GDP).
- Certainly, not same as 1960s. Is the change universal? Today, how many people are engaged in agriculture?
Is India an agrarian economy?
Inefficiencies in Agriculture
- Today for India, nearly 43% of the total employment is in Agriculture. Even though, value added by agriculture to GDP is ~16%.
- China, that has a comparable population to India, requires a little more than 3 times the area of agriculture land to support itself. This is despite the fact that yield per hectare in China is higher compared to India1.
- India has a lower share of irrigated land compared to Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Labour Force
- Does being a populous and young country help?
- What is the employment share outside agriculture?
- Are women participating in the work force?
Electricity
- Why special focus on Electricity?
- One of the primary inputs required for any economic activity.
- Also a signal for standard of living.
- Important factors to consider given climate change.
We will explore access to electricity, Per capita power consumption, and renewable electricity output.
Health
- Studies show relation between nutrition intake and growth.1
- Health of labour force has implications for economy.
- There is intrinsic value in having good health indicators.
- Signals welfare functioning of the state.
Education
- There is intrinsic value in having a population that is educated.
- Education can lead to better outcomes for economic growth.
- Education can lead to better social mobility.
- Education of mothers is linked to child development outcomes.
Discussion - Mobility
Credit: Development Data Lab
Discussion - Segregation
Credit: Development Data Lab